The invention relates in general to fastener clips used in the construction of wall systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a fastener clip for use in the construction of a security wall system in which the fastener clip is used to fasten, and fix the position of a rigid mesh wall panel on a building framework and over which a gypsum wall board panel will be placed.
A security closet, also known as a saferoom is a room constructed within and as a part of a building, typically a residential dwelling, which is provided with reinforced walls and a secure door such that in an event of a home invasion, for example, the occupants of the dwelling can retreat to the security closet, lock themselves within, and call the authorities. An additional feature of a security closet is that it can also be used as a saferoom for not only protecting the occupants of a dwelling, but also for the storage of valuables and other objects which need to be protected from theft, as well as from being tampered with by children, for example.
Security closets are constructed by reinforcing the walls, and ceiling if desired, of a room within a building, typically a windowless closet in a residential dwelling, with a solid wood core or metallic door equipped with a dead bolt operable from inside the room, as well as outside the room with the appropriate key in order to permit the occupants of a dwelling to retreat to the security closet and lock themselves therein if need be. The construction of a typical security closet will involve the fastening of a series of rigid metallic mesh wall panels to the building framework forming the walls of the security closet and over which a gypsum board will be fastened. The building framework, as known, will be comprised of a series of parallel and upstanding wooden or light gauge metallic wall studs spaced on centers from one another in the range of from 16xe2x80x3 to 24.xe2x80x3
The security mesh wall panel, typically an expanded metal wall panel, is placed over the wall studs and is fastened thereto by screws in the case of wooden studs, and by screws or being welded thereto in the case of light gauge steel framing studs. When fastening the expanded metal wall panel to the wall studs with fasteners, a wafer head screw, a screw provided with a washer formed as a part of the screw head, is typically used by placing the screw at a corner of one of the regularly spaced, typically diamond shaped, openings formed in the wall panel, in registry with a wall stud. The screw is driven into the building framework such that the wafer head holds a portion of the mesh wall panel against the stud.
The installation technique of fastening expanded metal wall panels to a series of wall studs using wafer head screws, described above, places the screw in a narrow corner of the diamond shaped opening such that the other side of the head hangs out over an opening defined by the diamond. This presents two problems with the security of the connection. First, if an upward pressure is applied to the mesh, as for example when a crowbar is used pry the mesh upward, the mesh can slip out from under the edge of the screw. Secondly, if the installer is not alerted to the problem and does not place the screws along alternating sides of the respective diamond shaped openings along the framing member, it becomes possible to shift the sheet of expanded metal to one side and remove it from the screw heads if, for example, all the screw heads are located on the same or common side of the diamond shaped openings in the panel.
Another drawback with the use of wafer head screws is that this is not a screw commonly used or carried by gypsum board, also referred to as xe2x80x9cwallboardxe2x80x9d, installers, for example, who will typically be the craftsmen that will fasten the expanded metal wall panels on the studs and then place and fasten the overlying gypsum board or wallboard thereon, which requires the use of a separate type of screw, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cbugle headxe2x80x9d screw, to fasten the board to the wall studs. This requires that the wallboard installer carry two different types of screws, which in turn increases the expense of constructing the security room as wafer head screws are generally more costly than conventional threaded gypsum board fasteners, and which may also lead to less than adequate fastening of the wall panel to the studs in that a wafer head screw is not readily adapted for being placed into a screw gun used to drive threaded fasteners into a building framework during the building construction process. The possibility thus exists that the wafer-head screws will not be driven into the framework of the building as deeply as they should, which, for the reasons described above, can undesirably lead to the ability to remove the expanded metal wall panel from the building framework to gain access into the security close/saferoom.
Yet another problem encountered when using wafer head screws to fasten expanded metal wall panels to a building framework is that the screw heads will tend to form a series of raised surfaces, for example bumps or ridges, on the exterior outwardly facing surface of the gypsum board/wallboard panel placed thereover when finishing the exterior surface of the wall to which the expanded metal wallboard is fastened. This problem is most troublesome where the profile of the wafer head screws increases the overall thickness of the wall at the window and door frame openings of the building, primarily in the ability to neatly xe2x80x9ctrimxe2x80x9d these openings.
Although the problems of using wafer head screws, or of using ordinary fasteners with washers, can be avoided if the expanded metal wall panel is welded to the wall studs if they are made of a light gauge steel, this presents problems in and of itself. First, the cost of welding the mesh to the studs of the walls is much greater than using threaded fasteners. Second, this welding is typically done with wire fed welders of the type required when welding light gauge steel framing because of the thickness of the metal. This oftentimes is not practical to accomplish outside of a welding shop adapted to handle this type of welding. For example, certain environmental conditions can have a detrimental effect on this type of welding operation when done in the field. Moreover, some job sites are not conducive to welding because of the bulkiness, and the amount of equipment necessary, to weld the wall panels to the steel wall studs.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved wall fastener adapted for use with expanded metal security wall panels that should overcome the problems of allowing the expanded metal wall panel of a security wall system to be moved or shifted on the wall studs of the security closet after the mesh wall panel has been fastened thereto. There is also a need for such an improved fastener for use as a part of a security wall system which will use an ordinary fastener of the type used to fasten gypsum board, for example, to a wall stud rather than requiring the use of a separate type of screw, for example a wafer head screw.
Lastly, there is a need for such an improved security wall system fastener, and/or fastener assembly, which will not increase the overall thickness of the wall such that unsightly waves, seams, or ripples are not formed in the exterior finished wall once it is constructed. Such an improved security wall system fastener/fastener assembly should also be easy to manufacture, rugged and durable both in structure and in use, and constructed such that it will allow for the construction of a security closet in an efficient and workmanlike manner.
It is to these, and the other objects and advantages of the present invention, which include not only an improved wall fastener, but also provide for an improved security wall system, to which the invention is directed. The improved wall fastener of this invention is provided as a fastener clip having an elongate smooth surfaced planar body. A fastener recess is formed centrally within the body, and defines a fastener opening therethrough. At least two, and preferably four, elongate prongs are punched out, i.e., formed as a part, of the body and are spaced radially from one another about the fastener opening, each such prong extending away from the planar body of the fastener in a common direction. The fastener recess also extends away from the planar body in this common direction.
In a first aspect of the invention, the prongs of the fastener clip extend in the common direction for a length greater than the depth of the recess in this direction, such that the prongs are sized to be securely engaged on a security mesh wall panel as a threaded fastener is passed through the opening defined within the recess of the fastener clip to secure the mesh wall panel to the framework of a building, typically to the wall studs of a designated security closet or saferoom.
In its several embodiments, the smooth surfaced planar body of the fastener clip can be formed in any desired geometric shape, to include, for example, but not limited to, a diamond, a circle, a square, and a rectangle. The fastener recess defined within the body is counter-sunk such that as a threaded fastener, for example a gypsum board fastener or screw, also referred to as a xe2x80x9cbugle headxe2x80x9d screw, is passed through the fastener opening and into the building framework, that a driving head formed at one end of the fastener screw will be housed within the recess such that it is positioned below the plane of the fastener clip body. In this fashion, the fastener clip will lie substantially flat on the expanded metal wall panel after it has been used to fasten the mesh wall panel to the building framework.
The novel security wall fastener of this invention may thus be used as a part of a security wall system for attachment to the structural framework of a building. The system will include at least one expanded metal wall panel which defines a plurality of regularly spaced openings therein, at least one fastener clip of the type described above for fastening the mesh wall panel to the framework of the building, and an elongate fastener for being passed through the fastener clip and into the structural framework of the building for securing the mesh wall panel to the building framework. The security wall system also includes a gypsum board/wallboard panel for being fastened to the building framework over the expanded metal wall panel and the fastener clips used to fasten the metal wall panel to the building framework.
A unique feature of the novel fastener clip of this invention is that by including a fastener recess which extends away from the planar body of the fastener clip, that as the fastener used to secure the wall panel to the building framework is passed through the fastener opening defined within the recess of the fastener clip, the driving head of the fastener will draw a bottom portion of the fastener recess flat against the building framework which will in turn allow the driving head of the fastener itself to be seated firmly against the building framework to prevent the introduction of a pry bar, for example, behind the fastener head and against the building framework if an attempt is made to pry the security mesh wall panel off of the building framework.
The fastener clip is sized and shaped to cover substantially all of a selected one of the openings defined by the mesh wall panel when placed thereover, such that in association with the prongs formed as a part of the fastener clip the fastener clip will securely fasten and position the wall panel on the building framework such that it cannot be shifted on the building framework by being xe2x80x9cpoppedxe2x80x9d off of the fasteners during an illicit attempt to break into the security closet constructed with this system.
Another feature of this invention lies in an improved method of constructing a security wall system in which a first rigid mesh wall panel is positioned on the framework of a building, a fastener clip is placed over a selected one of the openings defined within the mesh wall panel, and an elongate fastener is passed through an opening defined within the counter-sunk recess formed in the mounting clip. The fastener is driven into the building framework to seat both the recess of the mounting clip and a driving head of the fastener against the building framework so that the clip lies substantially flat along an outwardly facing surface of the mesh wall panel. This method also contemplates the step of overlapping the ends of a first and a second security mesh wall panel, respectively over one another upon and in registry with a building framework member, for example an upstanding wall stud, such that a single fastener clip can be placed on an aligned opening in both the first and second wall panels to securely fasten and position both of the wall panels on the building framework in fashion heretofore unknown in the art.